One of the hardest things for me to wrap my mind around is how people can inflict any type of harm on an innocent and defenseless animal. Intentional cruelty and abuse cases are horrific and tend to grab headlines such as those that involve dog fighting, hoarding, maiming, mutilating, killing, or torturing an animal.
Equally horrific to the headline grabbing cases are the unintentional acts of cruelty that comprise most of the cases investigated by humane officers. Most people that I know are good pet parents that care for their pets as they would their child. However, I have learned that most of the cases of abuse or neglect that end up being investigated by humane officers are those that are a result of unintentional acts.
Unintentional abuse or neglect includes such actions as neglecting to provide proper veterinary care, neglecting to provide fresh water and/or food, leaving an animal outside in bad weather conditions or for excessively long periods without proper shelter, locking a pet in a hot car even for a short time, leaving a collar on the animal that is too tight, crating an animal for excessive periods, etc.
If you witness an act of cruelty, abuse, or neglect, either intentional or unintentional, I hope you will report it to your local agency. The animals have no voice and cannot ask for your help themselves. Pets911.com provides localized information for most communities about where to report animal neglect or abuse. If you do not find your local information, we could use your help. Just email us at info@pets911.com, and include your ZIP code and the name of your local animal care and control agency.